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Don't surrender to text spelling, plead experts
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent8 Sep 2008
A call to simplify English spelling and abolish the apostrophe to avoid wasting time at school immediately ran into opposition today.
John Wells, Emeritus Professor at University College London and president of the Spelling Society, suggested that a phonetic approach and the language of text messaging and the internet should be used instead of the wide range of spelling complexities children currently memorise.
He said academics and teachers have long been divided over how strictly the English language should be preserved-University examiners have said that even bright A-level students misspell common words, and employers have had to adopt a "three strikes and you're out" rule, in which candidates are allowed two spelling errors in job applications before being rejected.
Professor Wells called for greater freedom to allow phonetic spellings. He told The Times: "It seems highly likely that one of the reasons Britain and other English-speaking countries have problems with literacy is because of our spelling. In Finnish, once you have learned the letters, you know how to spell. With English it's not phonetic, and there are so many irregularities. Lots of other things are neglected in class because so much time is spent on spelling."
Learning how to use the apostrophe was also a waste of time. The apostrophe should simply be left out, with "it's" becoming "its", or replaced with a space, so "we'll" would be written "we ll". "Text messaging, email and internet chat rooms are showing us the way forward for English," he said. But Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, condemned the " ridiculous" idea. "Teachers have taught English spelling for years to a high standard. If some can do it there's no reason why they all shouldn't do it," he said.
He dismissed the idea that schools should teach text-speak as a "surrender to youthful fashions" that will "lead to a general deterioration of standards".
Elaine Higgleton, editorial director of Collins Language, said the problem with a phonetic approach would lie with deciding whose pronunciation to base it on. "Would we continue spelling the word 'think' with a 'th' or would it be spelled 'fink' as it is in the East End or 'tink' as in Ireland?" she said.
Edward Fennell, trustee of the English Project, a scheme dedicated to the history and evolution of the English language, said: "The English language is fluid and flexible. Text speak is the perfect example of an organic development within it." Ian McNeilly, from the National Association for the Teaching of English, said: "Language changes of its own accord and inevitably texting, chatrooms and new media will have an affect.
"However, I am concerned by any suggestion that the apostrophe is meaningless. I do not think the traditionalists should run up the white flag of surrender just yet."
Reader views (10)
Simplified spelling is to literature as Creationism is to Darwinism - anathema. It seeks to simplify that which is ineffable, and should be resisted.
Detailed orthography evolved to fit a niche role in human communication - to enhance cultural resonance and meaning in written language, just as body language and nuance of pronunciation enhance speech. It enriches us all.
Would the continental language Mandarins do away with 'La' Mer, 'Le' Car, 'Der' Mann and 'Das' Madchen, on the grounds that gender assignations for inanimate objects are redundant, nonsensical and arbitrary?
Of course not!
- Avid Speller, Erith Kent, 18/10/2008 01:27
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cnt c wot alda fus is about !
- Peter Killick, Hartlepool United Kingdom, 09/09/2008 00:25
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Why not just return them all to grunting - that's the easiest of all, and they're good at it already.
- Judith C, London, 08/09/2008 23:49
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I thought universities upheld the value of education. This is defeatist rubbish and another anti-British suggestion. A basic part of a country's heritage is its language and people should be proud to learn how to use it properly, or real proper like, OK. Or is this just another EU plot to make everything in Europe the same, so when Britain's population doubles by 2080 (today's news) everyone will live in harmony (that's a joke, for those in UK who already have had their humour regulated out of them.)
- E.Cowham, Melbourne, Australia, 08/09/2008 15:30
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It is easy to spell if taught properly. The problem here is the quality of teaching with the added addition of the children's comprehension.
- Leith, Brasil, 08/09/2008 13:57
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Wasting time at school? Teachers already have to give lessons on proper behaviour, how to verbally construct a sentence, manners and even how to be happy! If some parents showed more interest in bringing up their offspring teachers would be free to teach the academic subjects pupils attend school for in the first place.
- Steve, Hereford, 08/09/2008 13:57
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Apparently, kids these days can't even write for themselves. They have to have nanny's to do it for them. Teaching them how to press the mouse button whilst the cursor is over the spell and grammar check icon might be more productive and is more easily achieved than trying to get us to accept changes to our language rules. (Is the rest of the world to stop using apostrophes in their languages too?)
- Nora, London, UK, 08/09/2008 13:49
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Is this man an idiot? Why not teach children to spell correctly and use the correct grammar? I am constantly appalled at the spelling in some of the responses to articles in This is London
- E Sullivan, London, 08/09/2008 12:47
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How ridiculous, we all managed to learn basic spelling and grammar! At this rate children will all be writing in text language.
- Emma, Nunhead, London, 08/09/2008 12:30
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Emeritus Professor Wells' ideas are a typical example of dumbing down. English is different to other languages because of its varied roots and this makes it what it is.The placing of the apostrophe is not rocket science and can easily be learned by anyone with the ability to learn how to use a mobile phone for texting. Debasing the language is a loser for all of us. Perhaps Professor Wells should go into full retirement where his views might get less publicity.
- M Wilkinson, London UK, 08/09/2008 12:09
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